CA2363226A1 - Improved staircase railing - Google Patents

Abstract

A railing for assisting a user in ascending and descending a staircase having a plurality of steps is disclosed. The railing can be mounted above and adjacent to the staircase, preferably adjacent to a wall. The railing consists of an elongated rail having a first portion adapted and configured to be grasped by the user between a user's arm and chest. The first portion is also configured and adapted to support the user by bearing against the user's armpit.

Description

_ CA 02363226 2001-11-16 ', TITLE: IMPROVED STAIRCASE RAILING
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to improved staircase railings which are mounted S adjacent staircases and are used by people to assist them in ascending and descending the staircase.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Elderly people often have difficulty in ascending and descending stairs. As people age, there is usually a gradual loss of physical functioning. Muscular strength decreases, bones become more brittle, motor response time slows and major senses like vision dull. This process is heightened in those over the age of 75. The decline in most of these areas contributes to lessened physical mobility and corresponding difficulty in ascending and descending stairs.
Mobility difficulties also stem from specific diseases, not only from the kind of loss associated with wear and tear of aging. Unfortunately, the elderly suffer from an increased incidence of debilitating diseases such as arthritis, heart conditions, and visual impairment.
The ailments from which the elderly suffer not only contribute to mobility difficulties, they also render their effects much more serious. Conditions like osteoporosis can lead to hip fractures from which the elderly may be too frail to recover. Therefore, even a relatively mild fall can prove serious. As a result, the elderly have the highest mortality and experience the greatest degree of disability and dysfunction from falls. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death in persons over 65. In addition to physical consequences, falls also have a psychological impact. Many who have fallen develop "post fall syndrome". Their fear of falling results in a loss of confidence, self esteem and imposes further restrictions on mobility.
Indeed, 40% of older people have a fear of falling and as many as 20% avoid activities such as shopping and cleaning for fear of falling.
Whether descending or ascending stairs, a great deal of pressure is applied to the lower limbs and to knee joints in particular. Old age and diseases common to the elderly often lead to weakened legs and painful, stiff joints. Therefore, the elderly often have difficulty meeting the physical requirements of using stairs.
Existing handrails offer some support in the use of stairs and help with balance.
However, these require strength in the hands and wrists to firmly grasp the handrail, which the elderly generally lack. Also, handrails do not offer enough support to enable weight transfer from the lower limbs. An alternative approach is to use an electric elevating device to ascend and descend stairs. A wide variety of electric elevating devices are now available. However, these devices tend to be too expensive for the elderly, many of whom are on fixed pension incomes. These device are also expensive to install and require qualified trades people to do the work. Moreover, they are generally most suitable for the seriously disabled, those with little or no mobility. There is a real and existing need for an improved staircase railing which overcomes the inadequacies of existing staircase railings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the present invention consists of a railing for assisting a user in ascending and descending a staircase having a plurality of steps, the railing being mountable above and adjacent to the staircase. The railing consists an elongated rail having a first portion dimensioned and configured to pass between the user's arm and chest and support j CA 02363226 2001-11-16 the user by bearing against the user's armpit.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1. is a front view of a user descending a staircase using a conventional hand railing.
FIGURE 2. is a front view of a user descending a staircase using one embodiment of the present invention.
FIGURE 3. is a front view of a user descending a staircase using another embodiment of the present invention.
FIGURE 4. is a side view of one user ascending and another user descending a staircase using the present invention.
FIGURE 5. is perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
FIGURE 6. is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
FIGURE 7. is a front view of a user descending a staircase using the embodiment shown in figure 5.
FIGURE 8. is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention shown mounted adjacent a staircase.
FIGURE 9. is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in figure 8.

FIGURE 10. is a side view of a user about to descend a staircase using another embodiment of the present invention.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In order to explain the function of the present invention, a brief analysis of traditional staircase rails will first be discussed. As shown in Figure 1, prior staircase rails, shown generally as 10, consisted of an elongated rail 12 which was mounted to a wall 14 adjacent staircase 16.
Staircase 16 generally consisted of a series of individual steps 18 being separated by flights 20.
A user 22 who wishes to descend the stairs would grasp rail 12 using his hand 24 for support.
As user 22 descends staircase 16, holding unto rail 24 provides the user with a measure of assistance. User 22 can shift a portion of his or her weight from their legs 26 to their arm 30.
Unfortunately, if user 22 is elderly, he or she may not have sufficient strength in the wrists to support a significant amount of weight through the wrists. Furthermore, since hand 24 must firmly grasp rail 12 in order for user 22 to maintain their balance, a fall is more likely to occur if the user's grip fails and he or she accidentally let's go of the rail. Again, this is particularly a problem in elderly people, since they have less strength in their hands and cannot apply as much gripping force to handrail 12.
Referring now to Figure 2, the present invention shown generally as item 32, overcomes the failings of the prior art by allowing user 22 to shift a significant amount of his or her weight to rail 34 by leaning against the rail. The railing system of the present invention consists of an elongated rail portion of 34 which is adapted and configured to fit comfortably between arm 30 and chest 36. Rail portion 34 is further adapted and configured to support a portion of user 22's weight by bearing against armpit 38. Rail 34 is preferably mounted above staircase 16 at a position roughly equivalent to user 22's chest 36 (i.e. chest level).
Furthermore, rail 34 is positioned far enough away from wall 14 so that user 22 can insert arm 30 between rail 34 and wall 14. Since rail 34 is positioned between user 22's arm 30 and chest 36, and since arm 30 is positioned between rail 34 and wall 14, even if the user were to slip, the rail would provide sufficient support to help prevent a fall.
As mentioned above, rail 34 should be positioned at approximately chest height. For most practical applications involving an average sized elderly person, it has been discovered that rail 34 should be positioned approximately 44 inches above steps 18. It will be appreciated that if user 22 is considerably shorter than the average person, then rail 34 may be mounted lower relative to steps 18. Conversely, if user 22 is taller than the average individual, then rail 34 should be mounted higher relative to steps 18. If rail 34 is mounted to a wall, then the rail should be positioned approximately between 8 to 12 inches away from the wall to permit the user's arm to be inserted between the rail and the wall.
Referring now to Figure 3, rail system 32 may also include a handrail 40 which is positioned adjacent to and below rail 34. Handrail 40 permits user 22 to grasp the handrail with hand 24 thereby increasing the user's stability.
Referring now to Figure 4, rail 34 is positioned above and adjacent stairway 16 such that the rail extends parallel to the stairway. A user can use rail 34 to either ascend stairs 16, as shown by item 22A, or descend the stairway as shown by item 22B. In either case, rail 34 is positioned between the user's arm 30 and chest 36.
Referring now to Figure 5, the present invention can have both the first rail portion and the handrail portion together in a single rail as shown as Item 42. The composite rail 42 has a - - first portion 44 which is adapted and configured to bear against a users armpit, to help support the user. Mounted adjacent first portion 44 is second portion 46 which is adapted and configured to be grasped by the users hand. Portion 44 is attached to portion 46 via web 48. Web 48 may be provided with a series of apertures 50 which are separated by spokes 52.
Spokes 52 serve a dual function. Not only do they support portions 44 and 46, but they can also be grasped by a user's hands to assist the user in ascending or descending the stairs.
Refernng now to Figure 6, composite rail 42 is mounted to wall 14 via adjustable bracket 54. Bracket 54 positions first portion 44 away from wall 14 such that a user can insert his arm between wall 14 and first portion 44. Bracket 54 also positions composite rail 42 such that second portion 46 is positioned below first portion 44. As shown in Figure 7, when user 22 grasps composite rail 42, he places first portion 44 between arm 30 and chest 36 such that the first portion bears against armpit 38. With first portion 44 bearing against armpit 38, the user can transfer some of his weight to first portion 44 of composite rail 42. The user may also grasp second portion 46 with his hand 24 to provide him with additional stability when descending or ascending the stairs. Bracket 54 may telescope to permit composite rail 42 to be positioned for maximum ease of use. In some embodiments, arm 54 may be movably attached to wall 14 via pivoting bracket 55. Pivoting bracket 55 permits rail 42 to be moved out of the way when not in use.
Referring now to Figure 8, an alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown as rail system 56 which consists of elongated rail member 58 mounted to wall 14 via brackets 60.
Brackets 60 consist of an elongated arm 62 and a wall mount 64. Mounting bracket 60 is dimensioned and configured to position elongated rail member 58 at least eight inches from wall 14. Elongated rail member 58 has top portion 66 and bottom portion 68. Top portion 66 of elongated rail 58 is dimensioned and configured to fit between a user's arm and chest. Top portion 66 is further configured to bear comfortably against the user's armpit to permit the user to transfer a significant portion of his or her weight to the rail. Preferably top portion 66 is made of a deformable yet highly resilient foam padding which assists in comfortably supporting the user. Bottom portion 68 is adapted to be grasped by the users hands in order to provide the user with some additional support.
Top portion 66 is provided with a series of elevated portions 78 separated by valley portions 80. Elevated portions 78 and valley portions 80 permit user's to gradually shift their body weight as they descend or ascend stairs. In particular, a user descending staircase 16 may first shift his upper body such that his or her armpit 38 comes into contact with an elevated portion 66. Then the user may move his or her feet forward by a step or a half step in order to shift their body weight. Since the user's armpit 38 is bearing against elevated portion 78, the user has sufficient support to move his/her legs forward without fear of falling.
The user may then shift his/her armpit 38 to the next valley portion 80. With valley portion 80 now between the user's arm and chest, the user may then lower his/her feet onto the next step on staircase 16. In this way, the user may shift his/her body weight several times for each step on the staircase. It has been discovered that if elevated portions 78 are separated by approximately 6 inches, then a user may shift his/her weight several times for each step on the staircase.
Referring now to Figure 9, top portion 66 is preferably rounded so that it fits comfortably in the user's armpit. Bottom portion 68 of rail 58 has lobes 70 and 72 separated by elongated groove 76. Lobes 70 and 72 form a first and second handle portion, respectively. Lobes 70 and 72 form handle portions which permit the user to better grasp rail 58.
Extrusion 74 is mounted within groove 76 to provide rail member 58 with support. Extrusion 74 is in turn mounted to arms 62 of brackets 60. Preferably, rail 58 is made from a dense foam plastic/rubber material such that top portion 66 provides comfortable padding. Furthermore, if lobes 70 and 72 are also made of dense foam material, the user may be able to more firmly and more comfortably grasp the lobes.
The width of rail 58 between lobes 70 and 72 must permit the user sufficient room to firmly grasp the lobes. Likewise, the height of rail 58 between top portion 66 and lobes 70 and 72 must be sufficient to permit the user to comfortably grasp the lobes while bearing against the top portion. The height of rail 58 between top portion 66 and the bottom of lobes 70 and 72 is preferably between 6 to 10 inches. The width of rail 58 between lobes 70 and 72 is preferably between 4 to 8 inches. It has been discovered that these dimensions permit the user to keep his/her elbows at an approximately 90° angle when grasping the lobes of the rail. By keeping the user's elbows at an approximately 90° angle, the user can more firmly and comfortably grasp the rail.
Referring now to Figure 11, an alternate hand rail is shown. Hand rail 100 has a slightly different cross sectional profile than the hand rail shown in figure 9. Hand rail 100 has lobes 102 and 104 separated by groove 110. Lobes 102 and 104 have internal projecting bulges 106 and 108, respectively. Bulges 106 and 108 project into groove 110. Bulges 106 and 108 permit a user to more firmly grasp lobes 102 and 104 since he/she may hook their fingers around the bulges and thereby get a firmer grasp.
Referring now to Figure 10, an alternate stairway rail system, shown generally as item 82 will now be described. Rail 82 consists of a first elongated rail member 84 and a second elongated hand rail member 86. Members 84 and 86 are mounted to wall 14 by means known generally in the art. Like the previous embodiments, rail member 84 has a surface 88 which is adapted and configured to fit between the user's arm 30 and chest 36. Hand rail 86 is positioned adjacent member 84 at a height slightly below rail 84. Handrail 86 is dimensioned and configured to permit the user to grasp the handrail with his hands. Surface 88 of rail 84 is provided with elevated portions 90 separated by valley portions 92. Elevated portions 90 are separated by a distance A. Unlike the embodiment shown in figure 8, in the particular embodiment shown in figure 10 distance A is selected such that when rail 84 is mounted adjacent stairway 16, elevated portions 90 are directly above steps 18, as shown by dotted lines 94 and 96. Since elevated portions 90 are directly above steps 18, they permit the user to better transfer his weight to rail 84 since the elevated portion will be higher relative to the users chest 36. Once the user is on a particular step 18, the user may then move forward and slide his chest forward and down-ward to the next elevated portion 90. Hence, unlike the previous embodiment, in the present embodiment the user can only shift his/her body weight once for each step 18. In the present invention, the valley portions 92 separating the elevated portions 90 permit the user to ascend and descend the stairs in a more step wise fashion.
A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however, several variations of the disclosed embodiment could be envisioned as within the scope of this invention.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (15)

1. A railing for assisting a user in ascending and descending a staircase having a plurality of steps, the railing being mountable above and adjacent to the staircase, the railing comprising an elongated rail having opposite first and second ends and a cross sectional diameter, the cross sectional diameter selected to permit the rail to pass comfortably between the user's arm and chest, the rail having a first elongated portion adapted to comfortably bear against the user's armpit.

2. A railing as defined in claim 1 wherein the rail is positioned adjacent the staircase at a height above the steps selected to place the rail adjacent the user's chest when the user stands on the steps.

3. A railing as defined in claim 1 wherein the rail further comprises a second elongated portion positioned adjacent to and extending parallel with the first portion, the second portion adapted to be grasped by a user's hand.

4. A railing as defined in claim 3 wherein the rail further comprises a third elongated portion positioned adjacent to and extending parallel with the first portion, the third portion adapted to be grasped by the user's hand.

5. A railing as defined in claim 3 wherein the first portion is positioned above the second portion when the rail is positioned adjacent the staircase.

6. A railing as defined in claim 1 wherein the first portion is padded.

7. A railing as defined in claim 1 wherein the first portion has a series of elevated portions separated by a series of valley portions, the elevated portions being separated by a distance selected to position the elevated portions directly above the steps of the staircase when the railing is positioned above and adjacent to the staircase.

8. A railing as defined in claim 1 further comprising a mounting bracket for mounting the rail to a wall adjacent the stairs, the bracket adapted to position the first portion of the rail away from the wall at a sufficient distance to permit the user to insert an arm between the wall and the first portion.

9. A railing as defined in claim 8 wherein the bracket is adapted to position the first portion of the rail between 9 to 12 inches from the wall.

10. A railing as defined in claim 1 wherein the first portion has a series of elevated portions separated by a series of valley portions.

11. A railing as defined in claim 10 the elevated portions are separated from each other by a distance of approximately six inches.

12. A railing as defined in claim 9 wherein the bracket is adapted to be movably mounted to the wall, the bracket permitting the rail to move between a first position wherein the rail is positioned adjacent the wall and a second position wherein the rail is positioned at a distance from the wall, the distance selected to permit the user to insert an arm between the rail and the wall.

13. A railing for assisting a user in ascending and descending a staircase having a plurality of steps, the railing being mountable above and adjacent to the staircase, the railing comprising an elongated rail having opposite first and second ends, a cross sectional diameter and opposite first and second portions, the cross sectional diameter of the rail dimensioned to fit comfortably between the user's arm and chest, the first portion adapted to bear comfortably against the user's armpit, the second portion adapted to be grasped by the users hand.

14. A railing as defined in claim 13 wherein the second portion is divided into two elongated lobes by an elongated groove, each of the lobes being adapted and configured to be grasped by the user's hands.

15. A railing as defined in claim 13 wherein each lobe has an elongated bulge which projects into the groove.